Bi-directional operating mechanism

ABSTRACT

A touch-operated volume control device in which a potentiometer is adjusted by depressing either end of a deflectable key. The volume is increased, progressively, by repeatedly depressing one portion of said key and decreased, progressively, by repeatedly depressing a spaced portion of said key.

United States Patent Berenbaum et al'.

BI-DIRECTIONAL OPERATING MECHANISM Inventors: Arthur Berenbaum, Holland; Robert M. McDonough, Philadelphia, .both

of Pa.

Assignee: Philco-Ford Corporation, Philadephia, Pa.

Filed: April 29, 1971 Appl. No.: 138,548

us. (:1 ..325/397, 74/142, 178/58 R,

179/1 VL, 338/153 1m. (:1. ..H03g 3/02 Field of Search....l78/5.8 R; 325/397, 39.8, 399; 179/1 VL; 338/153; 74/10 A, 10 R, 10.15, 575,578,577 S, 577 M, 142; 334/7, l0, l9,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,433,389 12/1947 Newton ..334/10 1,446,267. 2/1923 Newcomb ..74/142 3,468,176 9/1969 Boucherie ..74/142 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Richardson Attorney Robert D. Sanborn [57] ABSTRACT 1 A touch-operated volume control device in which a potentiometer is adjusted by depressing either end of a deflectable key. The volume is increased, progressively, by repeatedly depressing one portion of said key and decreased, progressively, by repeatedly depressing a spaced portion of said key.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures MTENTEDUBI 11 1972 3,599 53 AGE/V T BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Our invention relates to the adjustment of electrical apparatus, and particularly to the adjustment of broadcast receivers of the radio or television type. The principles of the invention are especially, although not exclusively, useful in the control of volume in a television receiver.

There is increasing emphasis on simplifying the control functions of broadcast receivers, particularly television receivers, the effort being to provide controls which may be located and operated in the simplest possible manner and which are reliable in function and attractive in appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the general objective of our invention to provide improved touch (i.e., pressure) operated control means, and particularly a volume control device which ble to adjust the circuits to enable preselection of the channel to which the television receiver may be tuned.

This door and key structure forms the subject matter of our copending application bearing Ser. No. 130,336, filed Apr. 1, 1971 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and requires no description herein. The function control apparatus of the present invention, also comprises a touch-operated key 16 which complements the mentioned door-key structure, in appearance and mode of operation.

While the principles of this invention may be applied in control of various functions of a broadcast receiver, preferably, and as illustrated, they are applied to adjustment of a volume control potentiometer, shown at is of great simplicity and is unusually convenient to operate. To this general end we provide a push-button operated potentiometer adapted to be energized in step-by-step fashion through the agency of a manually operable key which normally occupies a position substantially in the plane of the cabinet or panel which houses the receiver, and either end of which is depressible to a position, out of said plane, in which it actuates associated mechanism effective to adjust the potentiometer. Increase or decrease of volume requires nothing more than brief or repeated actuations of one or the other of the end portions of the key. Conveniently, the associated potentiometer is adjusted through the agency of a simple pawl and ratchet mechanism controlled by key deflection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of a television receiver including volume controlapparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of the control apparatus of this invention embodied in a sub-assembly shown disassociated from the receiver illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2.

7 DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT In the apparatus illustrated in the drawings, the invention is shown as embodied in a television receiver which includes a cabinet 10, a cathode ray tube, fragmentarily shown at 11, and various control instrumentalities which occupy the right hand side of the illustrated portion of the cabinet. As will be understood, the receiver would also include a loudspeaker, and suitable circuits including a tuner, none of which elements need be illustrated or described herein.

Preferably, and as shown, the illustrated controls include a plurality of touch-operated key members, for example the key members shown at l2, l3 and 14, which are formed as part of a door 15. The door is mounted for pivotal movement from the illustrated closed position to an open position in which it is possi- 17 in FIG. 2. As will become clear as the description proceeds, depressing one side of key member 16 with respect to adjoining cabinet structure the left side as illustrated results in actuating the potentiometer in a clockwise direction and in decreasing the volume setting. Volume may be increased progressively by repeatedly depressing the right hand end portion of the key 16. Accordingly the left end is marked LOW", while the right end of the key member 16 is marked HIGH.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, which show the control apparatus embodied in a subassembly disassociated from the receiver, the key member 16 comprises an elongated bar of resilient material, for example plastic material, which has a centrally located portion 18 molded as an integral part of a projection P up standing from a flat frame or floor member 19. This frame is provided with extensions 19a and 19b, cooperable with suitable bosses within the cabinet, to accommodate association of the frame or floor member with the receiver. It should be understood that the frame member 19, carrying the key, would be inserted into the cabinet from the front thereof, preferably prior to mounting of the door 15. The key member, and its supporting and framing structure P, 18, may be fabricated of plastic material having considerable resilience, for example a suitable styrene such as acrylonitrile-budadiene-styrene, known as ABS. The result is that the left (LOW) and right (HIGH) ends of the key member comprise cantilevered extensions of the central portion 18 and that either of these portions may be deflected out of the general plane of the cabinet in response to pressure applied against, or near, the raised finger areas shown at 20 and 21. The potentiometer would, of course, be associated with receiver control circuits of well known type which it is not necessary to illustrate or describe in this specificatron.

To couple the key member 16 in driving relation with the potentiometer 17, the potentiometer is provided with a shaft 22 which carries a pair of ratchet wheels 23 and 24 each of which is drivingly associated with the shaft. Since the teeth of the ratchet wheels face in opposite directions, force applied generally tangentially of the wheels serves to adjust the potentiometer. The adjustment occurs in one direction, if the force is applied through wheel 23, and in the opposite direction if the force is applied through wheel 24. It will be apof incremental change in adjustment of the potentiometer can of course be varied by changing the number of ratchet teeth.

To couple the key member in driving association with the ratchet, we have found it convenient to employ a pair of pawls 25 and 26 which are disposed to be portion 18 of the key, as shown at 28 in FIG. 3, and has portions 27a and 27b which bear resiliently against the mentioned key extensions. The pawls and the central portion 27 may be formed of any suitable spring stock, for example steel. Each pawl is provided with a tooth adapted to drive acorresponding one of the ratchet wheels. These teeth are shown in the drawing at 25a and 26a. Preferably, each pawl includes an extension adapted to overlie and slide with respect to the face of the ratchet wheel which that pawl confronts. The extension provided on the right hand pawl 26 is shown in the drawing at 26b.

In the broader aspect of our invention the key could comprise a member pivotally mounted at the center, for rocking movements, rather than being fixed at the center for resilient deflection of opposite end portions thereof as already described. However it will be understood that such modifications are within the purview of the invention.

In summary, the apparatus of this invention provides a function control device, particularly a volume control, which is of great simplicity, unusual convenience, and good appearance. Adjustment in volume requires nothing more than brief, repeated actuations of one or the other of the cantilever key portions. A wide range of control is afforded. In fact, by partially depressing one end of the key, the value of the potentiometer may be changed by a portion only of one of the steps afforded by the ratchet teeth.

We claim:

1. In combination with a broadcast receiver having panel means overlying the same, a volume control device including: key means carried by said panel means and adapted to be moved in response to force applied to spaced portions of said key means; and drive means so interconnecting said device and said key means that progressive increase in volume is effected effected by repeatedly depressing the other of said spaced portions of said key means.

2. A combination in accordance with claim 1, and further characterized in that: said key means is of barlike configuration and is mounted to lie in the general plane of said panel means, and said key means has support means, intermediate its ends, accommodating displacement of said key means out of said normal position in response to force applied toward either end portion thereof.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, and in which said drive means comprises: a pair of ratchet means having teeth arranged in opposite directions; and a pair of pawls one of which is associated with one of said spaced portions of said key means and is adapted to drive one of said ratchet means, and the other of which is associated with the other of said spaced portions of said key means and is adapted to drive the other of said ratchet means.

4. In a television receiver including a cabinet, means for controlling a function of said receiver, comprising: a function-control potentiometer; ratchet means drivingly coupled to said potentiometer; and manually operable key means so mounted upon said receiver as normally to be substantially co-planar with a wall of the cabinet, said key means being depressible with respect to said wall of the cabinet, by force applied to either of two spaced portions of said key means; and means so interconnecting said key means and said ratchet means that said function may be adjusted progressively in one sense, by repeated depression of one spaced portion of said key means, and may be adjusted progressively in an opposite sense, by repeated depression of the other spaced portion of said key means.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, and in which said ratchet means comprises a pair of ratchet wheels having teeth arranged in opposed directions whereby turning of said wheels actuates said potentiometer in opposite senses, and said interconnecting means comprises a pair of pawls each associated with a corresponding one of said two spaced portions of said key means and each disposed to drive a corresponding one of said ratchet wheels.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, in which the spaced portions of said key means comprise resilient cantilever extensions of an intermediate portion of said key means which is carried by said wall of the cabinet. 

1. In combination with a broadcast receiver having panel means overlying the same, a volume control device including: key means carried by said panel means and adapted to be moved in response to force applied to spaced portions of said key means; and drive means so interconnecting said device and said key means that progressive increase in volume is effected by repeatedly depressing one of said spaced portions of said key means, and progressive decrease in volume is effected by repeatedly depressing the other of said spaced portions of said key means.
 2. A combination in accordance with claim 1, and further characterized in that: said key means is of bar-like configuration and is mounted to lie in the general plane of said panel means, and said key means has support means, intermediate its ends, accommodating displacement of said key means out of said normal position in response to force applied toward either end portion thereof.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, and in which said drive means comprises: a pair of ratchet means having teeth arranged in opposite directions; and a pair of pawls one of which is associated with one of said spaced portions of said key means and is adapted to drive one of said ratchet means, and the other of which is associated with the other of said spaced portions of said key means and is adapted to drive the other of said ratchet means.
 4. In a television receiver including a cabinet, means for controlling a function of said receiver, comprising: a function-control potentiometer; ratchet means drivingly coupled to said potentiometer; and manually operable key means so mounted upon said receiver as normally to be substantially co-planar with a wall of the cabinet, said key means being depressible with respect to said wall of the cabinet, by force applied to either of two spaced portions of said key means; and means so interconnecting said key means and said ratchet means that said function may be adjusted progressively in one sense, by repeated depression of one spaced portion of said key means, and may be adjusted progressively in an opposite sense, by repeated depression of the other spaced portion of said key means.
 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, and in which said ratchet means comprises a pair of ratchet wheels having teeth arranged in opposed directions whereby turning of said wheels actuates said potentiometer in opposite senses, and said interconnecting means comprises a pair of pawls each associated with a corresponding one of said two spaced portions of said key means and each disposed to drive a corresponding one of said ratchet wheels.
 6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, in which the spaced portions of said key meaNs comprise resilient cantilever extensions of an intermediate portion of said key means which is carried by said wall of the cabinet. 